Evove, a U.K.-based company, has developed a high-tech filter made with graphene that is revolutionizing how companies use water. At a large AB InBev brewery in Johannesburg, the filter was used in a pilot project to not only save millions of gallons of water but also reuse it for cleaning purposes. Traditional filters often clog up due to random variations in pore sizes, making it difficult to effectively filter out unwanted particles. However, Evove’s advanced material filter uses graphene to create tiny hexagonal pores of the same size, allowing for precise filtration. The potential applications for this innovative filter extend beyond breweries, with possibilities in lithium extraction, desalination plants, and even home water filters.
Reshaping Water Usage with High-Tech Filters
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The Applications and Benefits of Advanced Material Filters
In today’s world, where water scarcity is becoming increasingly prevalent, it is crucial for industries to find innovative solutions to conserve and reuse water resources. One such solution lies in the use of high-tech filters made with advanced materials. These filters, designed by companies like Evove, have the potential to reshape water usage and bring about significant benefits in various sectors.
Saving Water in Large Breweries
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Filtering Lithium from Natural Sources
Large breweries consume substantial amounts of water in their operations, making water conservation a top priority for these companies. Evove’s advanced-material filters have proved to be a game-changer in the brewing industry, where water can now be reused multiple times. At a pilot AB InBev brewery in Johannesburg, South Africa, the use of these filters has demonstrated the ability to save millions of gallons of water annually.
In addition to brewery operations, advanced filters also offer a solution for extracting lithium from natural sources like California’s Salton Sea. Traditional filters often struggle to effectively remove salts and other impurities from the water, making the lithium extraction process inefficient. Evove’s filters, with their precisely designed pores, can efficiently extract lithium, making the process more sustainable and cost-effective.
Water Conservation in Brewery Operations
Efficient Lithium Extraction using Advanced Filters
Water conservation is of utmost importance in brewery operations, especially in regions facing water shortages like Johannesburg. The conventional filters used in breweries cannot effectively remove grain residues, sugars, and yeasts, rendering the water unusable for reuse. Evove’s advanced filters, on the other hand, utilize advanced materials such as graphene to create hexagonal pores of uniform size. This enables the filters to effectively filter out impurities, allowing the water to be reused for cleaning purposes multiple times.
Similarly, in the extraction of lithium, conventional filters fail to remove salts and other impurities from the water, resulting in inefficient processes. Evove’s advanced filters, with their tailored porosity for specific chemical compounds, provide a solution to this problem. By precisely filtering out impurities, the filters enhance the efficiency of lithium extraction processes, making them more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Evove’s Pilot at AB InBev Brewery in Johannesburg
Goals and Results of Water Reuse in Brewing Process
Evove recently conducted a pilot at a large AB InBev brewery in Johannesburg to demonstrate the efficacy of their advanced-material filters in water reuse. The pilot aimed to show how the filters could enable breweries to conserve millions of gallons of water annually and reduce their environmental impact.
The results of the pilot were promising, with the filters enabling the reuse of water for cleaning purposes at least four times, and potentially up to eight times. This not only saved water but also reduced the energy consumption of the brewery by capturing and utilizing heat from the hot water. If implemented across all AB InBev breweries globally, Evove’s filters have the potential to save 6.6 million gallons of water, 2 million kilowatt-hours of electricity, and $52 million annually.
Extracting Lithium from Salton Sea and Geothermal Plants
Utilizing Advanced Filters in the Oil and Gas Sector
In addition to its applications in the brewing industry, Evove’s advanced filters also find utility in the extraction of lithium from natural sources. For example, in the Salton Sea region of California, where abundant lithium reserves are present in underground lakes, Evove’s filters offer a sustainable and efficient solution for extraction. By directly filtering lithium out of these underground lakes, the need for environmentally damaging evaporation ponds can be eliminated.
Moreover, Evove’s filters are being utilized in geothermal plants and the oil industry to extract lithium from brine and wastewater. This not only enhances the sustainability of these sectors but also allows for the utilization of lithium resources that would otherwise go to waste.
Expanding the Applications of Advanced Filters
Potential Uses in the Food and Beverage Industry
The potential of advanced filters extends beyond water conservation in the brewing industry and lithium extraction. These filters hold immense promise in various sectors, including the food and beverage industry.
One potential application is the filtration of milk for sugar separation. Evove’s filters, with their precisely tailored pore sizes, can allow sugar to pass through while retaining protein. This opens up opportunities for the production of healthier milk products with reduced sugar content.
Another area where advanced filters can revolutionize operations is desalination. By efficiently removing salt from water through reverse osmosis, these filters can enhance the efficiency of desalination plants, reducing energy consumption and making the process more sustainable.
FairLife’s Pilot with Coca-Cola
Optimizing Desalination Plants with Advanced Filters
To demonstrate the potential of advanced filters in the food and beverage industry, Evove conducted a pilot with Coca-Cola for their FairLife brand. The pilot aimed to show how the filters could be used to filter milk and separate sugar while retaining protein. The results were promising, indicating that these filters have the ability to produce milk products with reduced sugar content, catering to the growing demand for healthier options.
In the realm of desalination, Evove’s filters offer a groundbreaking solution to make the process more efficient. By precisely removing salt from water, these filters reduce energy consumption and enable desalination plants to operate more sustainably. This has the potential to revolutionize the desalination industry, which plays a critical role in addressing water scarcity in regions with limited freshwater resources.
The Future of Advanced Filter Technology
Advancements in Lithium Extraction and Water Filtration
The future of advanced filter technology holds immense promise in the realms of lithium extraction and water filtration. Evove, as a pioneering company in this field, aims to continue pushing the boundaries of filter design and efficiency.
In terms of lithium extraction, Evove plans to conduct further pilots in Chile, one of the world’s largest lithium producers. By utilizing their advanced filters, Evove aims to extract lithium directly from underground lakes, avoiding the environmentally damaging evaporation ponds commonly used in lithium extraction.
In the field of water filtration, Evove is developing new 3D-printed membranes that are designed for each specific application. These membranes are expected to further improve filter efficiency and enable new applications of advanced filters. For example, the membranes can be used in home water filters that never need to be changed, offering convenience and sustainability to consumers.
In conclusion, high-tech filters made with advanced materials have the potential to revolutionize water usage in various industries, from large breweries to the oil and gas sector. These filters offer solutions for water conservation, efficient lithium extraction, and enhanced desalination processes. As technology continues to advance, the applications of these filters are expected to expand, leading to a more sustainable and water-efficient future.
